Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-13
A CIRCUS AGENTS. STORY.
How an Elephant Avenged .
Murder.

How an Elephant Avenged .
Murder.
In 1867 l was attached to circus
which had q route through Ohio, Indi-
ana and Kentucky, said the ELUSIVE
agent to a reporter the other day.
Among the six elephants in the men.
agerie was one named Pompey, and
his mahout or keeper was an old man
named Andrew Thompson. He had
been in the show business all his life,
and for the last fifteen years had been
accompanied by his daughter, who
was down on the bills as "Mille. Josie
Picard, the wonderful equestrienne.
The old man was widower, you
understand, AMI tell you he was one
of the kindest and best fathers to Josie,
which was her right names She was.
at the time I am writing Of, about
twenty years of age, handsome, viva.
cious, well.educated and beloved by all.
During the winters she attended a
seminary in the East, and had many
friends in good society.
Every summer she had u score Of
would.be lovers following her about,
some belonging to the show aud some
outside of it; but that was the one
touchy point with old Thompson. He
had been father and mother, brother
and sister to that girl, and the idea
of any common fellow trying to shine
around her put his nose out of joint
at once. He felt that she was worthy
of the best man in the land, even If
she did wear tights and spangles Q
part Of the year. What her ideas on
the subject of matrimony were do
not know. She was a born lady in
her demeanor, kind. hearted, gentle and
obedient, and everyone of us felt proud
of her. In this we were seconded by
Pompey. The great beast was such
friend of hers that the father was
actually Jealous about it. There was
never day that she did not pay him
visit and she never approached that
he did not evince his great pleasure in
dozen ways.
One Of our tumblers and acrobats
that season was young fellow named
Campi. l remember he was down on
the bills as "Mons. Campi." or ''Signor
Campi," and think he was an italian.
He was a good.lookiDg. daring young
fellow of %, and we were no sooner
on the road tnan he fell in love with
Josie. She, perhaps, accepted it as
matter of course, neither sighting nor
encouraging him, but when old Thomp.
son heard it he called him aside and
said:
"See here, Campi. want to tell you
right now that my daughter will never
marry in the profession. j"
''Is she, then, so much superior to all
others?" was the sneering inquiry.
"That is not the question. have
made my plans in regard to her,
and it is useless for you to nurse your
love. Be man of sense, and let it stop
at friendship"
II love Josie, and hope to make her
mine."
"You never can"
"Then it shall not be my fault"
This interview had taken place in the
presence of Pompey, and it might have
lasted longer but for him. He may not
have conceived an aversion for Campi,
though elephants have their likes and
dislikes at first sight, the same as peo-
pie, but the young mans tones were
threatening, and Pompey closed the in
terview by rushing at him with scream
1t was narrow escape for Campi. The
terrible trunk made vicious sweep at
him, and if he had not been an acrobat
AID had seconds warning it would
have been all day with him. He beat q
hasty retreat, muttering threats of ven-
geance, and for a time the affair was
ended. He ceased his attentions to
Josie, avoiding her as much as possible,
aud prudence restrained him from ap-
preaching Polnpey. The beast was con
tinually on the watch for him, seeming
to nurse his wrath. and thus matters
went on for about four weeks.
We were showing at Bloomington, In
diana. Half an hour before the evening
performance opened circumstance ia.
vored Campi by giving him an opportu-
nifty for conversation with Josie at the
door of the dressing ROOM He poured
out his protes tations of love and rever-
ence, vowed that life without her would
not be worth living another hour, and
besought her to elope with him. She
repulsed him with firm tones, and in his
passion he drew o knife and stabbed her
to the heart and fed. There was an ac-
cidental listener to the words, and the
same person also saw the Llow struck.
You may believe there was the greatest
excitement as the news spread among
us. When Thompson was told of it he
came and raised the dead body of the
girl in his arms and kissed the fast
paling cheeks. Then he asked for some
garment belonging to Campi, ard as he
received it he returned to Pompey, un.
chained him, and the two went forth
into the night.
The body of the girl had not grown
cold when all the facts were given to
the police, who scattered in every
direction in hopes of securing the
murderer, Filled with jealousy and
hate, Campi was half crazy. He fled
into the country and only the mahout
and Pompey looked for him there.
The mahout on run and the elephant
swiftly lifting his great feet and carry
ing the tip of his trunk close to the
ground, the two pushed on through the
darkness and presently Pompey
screamed out in anger. He had got the
scent of the fleeing man and he in.
creased his pace. Half mile further
on he swerved aside, knocked down a
couple of rods Of board fence and entered
a broad field. Half way across it was
shade tree-a maple with trunk foot
thick. In the branches was Campi. He
had heard the sounds of pursuit on the
road and had turned aside to seek safety.
Safety from a father who had been
rendered childless by his hand and from
an elephant who had nursed his wrath
for a month.
The great beast flung high his trunk
and stripped the branches down, but
Campi climbed higher. Then the trunk
was carried around the body of the tree
and the Goliath braced himself and
shook it until no living creature could
have clung to it's top. Campi came
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